Scattershot: Outdoors news & notes

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The Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, located in the towns of Alabama and Shelby east of Lockport, has moved its annual “Spring into Nature” event to Saturday, April 22 to coincide with Earth Day. Activities will be starting at 9 a.m.at the headquarters located at 1101 Casey Road, Alabama. There will be a bald eagle watch at the Cayuga Overlook on Route 77 and there will be a variety of nature-related exhibits in addition to some crafts and games for the kids. Food will be available for purchase. The day concludes at 4 p.m. For more information, contact the refuge staff at 585-948-5445 Ext. 7034.

Feagin Wins Wilson Bullhead Contest

The weather couldn’t have been much worse after a couple inches of rain and then a couple inches of snow led right into the opening of the Wilson Conservation Club’s annual bullhead derby. The derby started at 5 p.m. last Friday and ran through 1 p.m. Sunday. The early action was difficult with high, muddy conditions. While many started fishing Friday night, in the end a majority of the winners came out of the water Sunday morning. Overall winner for the adults was Joel Feagin of Wilson with two bullhead totaling 4 pounds, 5 ounces. He was using shrimp in the east branch of 12 Mile Creek and caught them both the final morning to take the $250 first-place prize. There were 51 adult anglers who competed, along with seven junior fishermen. Runner-up was Francis Holly with two fish totaling 4 pounds, 3 ounces. He was using cider worms and leeches at night in Wilson. Dennis Sweatman placed third with two fish totaling 4 pounds, 2 ounces. He, too, caught them Sunday morning with shrimp in the east branch of 12 Mile. First-place youth angler was Joey Fay with two fish totaling 3 pounds, 2 ounces. Trevor Wilson was second with 2 pounds, 2 ounces.

Fly Fishing Education Offered at Orvis Buffalo

If you are looking at getting started with fly fishing, you are a beginner that wants to take it to the next level or you want to become more advanced in streamer tactics and European tight-line nymphing, Spring Orvis Days will have all of that and more. On April 22-23 out of Orvis Buffalo, 4545 Transit Road, Williamsville, the shop will be hosting a variety of seminars and multimedia demonstrations. For example, one presentation on spring trout fishing will get into access points, stream conditions and bug hatches right here in Western New York. They will also discuss proper tackle and technique. That’s just one example of what they have to offer. For a complete schedule, check out the website at www.orvis.com/buffalo. For more information call 276-7200.

Steelhead Egg Take Finished in Salmon River

The Salmon River Fish Hatchery staff has announced that they have taken all the necessary steelhead egg collections as of last week. In four days, the staff handled over 640 female fish, resulting in 2.4 million eggs. The target was 2.15 million eggs. The eggs will be hatched and raised at the hatchery in Altmar for about one year and be stocked as yearlings in 2018. An additional 150,000 eggs were also collected from Skamania strain steelhead. Steelhead are stocked every spring in tributaries to Lake Ontario and Lake Erie where they contribute to the open lake and tributary fisheries. Current Lake Ontario Steelhead/rainbow trout stocking includes 497,700 Washington strain yearlings, 43,000 Skamania strain yearlings and 75,000 “domestic” strain rainbow trout yearlings. Lake Erie tributaries are stocked with 255,000 Washington strain steelhead annually.